Chapter 33: [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] And just like that, it's out of print

Meanwhile, on the top floor of Kaiba Corporation, Yugi and Anzu had just stepped out of the elevator with racing hearts, only to see Sugoku Muto collapsed on the cold floor, his face deathly pale.

"Gramps!" After returning home, Yugi had found no sign of Grandpa Sugoku; instead, he had found the Kamegi Games Shop empty and the door left unlocked. Immediately after, he received a call from Kaiba. A single sentence—"Your grandfather is with me; would you mind coming to my company to pick him up?"—had sent Yugi rushing to Kaiba Corporation without a moment's pause.

But the moment he stepped out of the elevator, he saw his beloved grandfather in such a wretched state.

"Grandpa, hang in there!"

Hearing his grandson's voice, Sugoku Muto managed to muster a shred of strength to lift his head and look at Yugi. "Yu... Yugi..." He was drenched in sweat, his speech broken and halting; his condition was dire. "...I'm sorry... I intended... to teach the heart of the cards to that boy..."

"Gramps!"

Yugi hurriedly helped Grandpa Sugoku up, overcome with grief at his condition, while an endless surge of fury rose within his heart—who on earth had done this to his grandfather!

He would soon have his answer.

"Hmph, you're too late, Yugi Muto." A voice laughed loudly as a figure stepped out from the entrance of a closed building. Looking at Yugi, who was cradling his grandfather in sorrow, the figure spoke mockingly, "For an old man, your grandfather's health is quite decent, but it seems Duel Monsters are simply too stimulating for him."

"Kaiba... Seto!" Glaring at the laughing figure in rage, Yugi shouted his name. "Was it you who did this to Gramps?! What did you do to him!"

"I am no barbarian. I merely engaged in a game of Duel Monsters with this old man—a Duel Monsters match using the Gambler's Rules." The person appearing before Yugi was none other than Seto Kaiba, who, after being rejected when he tried to forcibly acquire a [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] from Sugoku a few days ago, had resorted to brute force.

"The latest virtual imaging system completed by Kaiba Corporation can enhance the original excitement of Duel Monsters by 1000%. However, it seems the power settings of the simulation system were too intense. I merely summoned a single monster, and that old man, who is out of touch with the times, collapsed from fright. How truly pathetic, hahahaha!"

As he spoke, Kaiba pulled a card from his pocket and held it up for Yugi to see.

"That card is... Gramps' [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]!" As Anzu helped support the grandfather, Yugi's pupils constricted upon seeing Kaiba brandish that [Blue-Eyes White Dragon].

"This 'Blue-Eyes' doesn't belong to your grandfather; it belongs to me. Since I am the victor of the duel, I am permitted to do whatever I wish with the prize." With a sadistic smirk, Kaiba gripped the top and bottom of the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] card with both hands.

"You bastard, don't you dare—stop it right now!" Yugi quickly realized why Kaiba had pulled out the Blue-Eyes won from Grandpa Sugoku. He screamed in panic, desperate to stop Kaiba's next move to prevent further shock to the already fragile Sugoku.

"For a card as powerful as [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], three copies are more than enough. A fourth is simply redundant." Despite hearing Yugi's words, Kaiba's movements did not falter in the slightest. "What 'heart' this and 'emotion' that... it's sickening. You want me to abandon the pursuit of power?"

"But, I refuse!"

*Rrip!*

Duel Monster cards were of excellent quality; normally, even if they got wet, a simple cleaning wouldn't damage them, and they possessed a perfect balance of softness and elasticity. However, a card is still just a card. Under Kaiba's merciless action, that [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]—one of only four in the world, with a single card valued at 1.5 billion yen—was easily torn in half.

"[Blue-Eyes White Dragon]! My [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]!" Watching in despair as Kaiba carelessly tossed the torn pieces aside, Sugoku Muto finally succumbed to the double blow of shock and despair; his eyes closed, and he lost consciousness.

"Gramps!"

Ignoring Yugi's grief-stricken cries, Kaiba turned to leave. He had already collected the three Blue-Eyes; the remaining one had been destroyed by his own hand. Now possessing the three strongest Duel Monsters in the world, no one could defeat him.

"To be the best, one must be the strongest." This was what he had learned from his adoptive father since childhood, and the principle he had lived by. Having inherited the most powerful arms company—Kaiba Corporation—he had no interest in deepening his involvement in the arms industry; only transforming an arms conglomerate into an entertainment company would provide a true challenge.

And Duel Monsters was the direction Kaiba had chosen for the group's future development. However, if Kaiba Corporation successfully surpassed Industrial Illusions to become the greatest Duel Monsters company, he, as President, would also have to become a "Pro" Duelist.

"Kaiba, I challenge you!" As Kaiba turned to depart, a resolute voice suddenly rang out from behind him. Turning on instinct, Kaiba saw Yugi holding a deck taken from the unconscious Sugoku Muto, glaring at him with a level of seriousness he had never seen before.

"Kaiba Corporation has many matters requiring my attention; my time is quite expensive. However," Kaiba glanced at the deck in the hands of the Yugi who seemed like a completely different person, "you want to avenge that old man? I'll play along to the end. After all, you won't be able to survive for long against my invincible deck, hahahaha!"

Watching Kaiba's retreating back as he laughed toward the sky and disappeared into the building entrance, Yugi grit his teeth, his fists clenched tight.

"Fight on, Yugi." A man's voice sounded, and a hand was placed on his shoulder, causing Yugi to turn around.

With beads of sweat on his forehead, Jonouchi nodded to Yugi. "I saw everything. Go, Yugi. Defeat that Kaiba using Gramps' deck. So, move forward!"

"But Grandpa..."

"Leave Grandpa to us. Go and fight, Yugi," Anzu said. Seeing the kind Grandpa Sugoku treated so cruelly by that Kaiba fellow, both Anzu and Yugi were filled with rage.

As Yugi unbuttoned his school uniform to reveal a black short-sleeved shirt, his normally standard uniform inexplicably lengthened into something resembling a trench coat, and his height underwent a subtle change. Jonouchi knew that the person standing there now was the one revered as the "King of Games"—Atem.

Drawing a card from the deck and handing it to Yugi, Jonouchi gave him an "ace" nod: "Take our strength with you. Don't stop fighting, Yugi!"

"I understand, Jonouchi, Anzu!"

Watching the King of Games walk into the doors where Kaiba had vanished, Jonouchi said to Anzu, "Gramps is in terrible condition. I found transportation when I arrived; let's get him to the hospital immediately."

***

As expected, the battle with Kaiba must be handled by the King of Games. After all, this is the beginning of their intertwined fates, and the focus remains on the final finishing blow.

And thus, this volume comes to an end.

Please recommend this work.

(End of Chapter)